Internal-combustion engine



Schulte,

L. M. wooLsoNA INTERNAL COMBUSTIN ENGINE Filed dat.. 22. 1923 V[Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,652,336 PATENT OFFICE.

LIONEL M. WOOLS'ON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COM- PANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN'.A

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application led October 22, 1923. Serial No. 669,917.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the ignition apparatus thereof. It has for an o 'ject to provide apparatus which shall I serve to strengthen the ignition circuit of such an engine at high enginespeeds by rclievingbthe electrical system 'of the load imposed y auxiliary circuits, and particularly the ignition circuit of a combustion heater.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

i Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a porli tion of an internal combustion engine equipped `with the invention Fig. 2 is a view partially in elevation and partially in section substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a schematic 'representation of the ignition system `of' an internal combustion engine, showing the application of the 1nvention thereto., i

Referring to the drawing at is `shown one ofthe cylinders of an internal combustion engine, in which a piston 11 is adapted to reciprocate, thepiston 11 being ,connected to an engine crank shaftk (not shown) in the usual manner. The engine is provided with a carburetor 12, having a fuel nozzle 13 and a mixing tube 14 of usual form, arranged in a casin 16 defining a mixing chamber, and adapte to receive air through a manually controlled' valve 17 and-an automatic vacuum operated valve 18. The mixing chamber 16 is connected by a suitable passage 19 to an -intake manifold 21, which communicateg with the engine cylinders 10 through ap ropriate valves 22, operated in timed relatlon to the engine in the usual manner.

Mounted in the casing 16 to control the low of fuel mixture therethrough is a' throttlevalve 23, which may beof any suitable construction. As illustrated, it consists of a buttery vane, mounted for oscillation on a shaft 24, journaled .in the walls of the casing 16. One end of the shaft 24 projects through the wall of'the casing 16 and is provided with a forked arm 26 and with a stop arm 27. The arm 26 is adapted to cooperate with a suitable actuating arm 28, having an axially disposed portion ,29 seated in .the

fork ofthe arm 26, and mounted on a suitable actuating shaft 31, connected in any well known manner to the engine control -levers (not shown). The arm 27 is adapted izer type, by means of which the fuel mixture is heated between the carburetorgmixing chamber 16 and the manifold 21. This combustion heater comprises a combustion chamber 36, connected to the carburetor mixing chamber, substantially at the throttle valve 23, by a assage 37, so as to conduct fuel mlxture om the mixing chamber to the combustion chamber 36. The combustion chamber 36 also communicates with a jacket 38, which surrounds the passage 19 between the carburetor' and the intake manifold, this communication being eifected by a series of holes 39. Suitably mounted in the combustion chamber 36 is a spark plug 41, connected 1 n any appropriate manner tothe engine 1gn1tion circuit, by means of which fuel :30T mixture in the combustion chamber 36 is ignited and is kept burning.

' The operation of the combustion heater Ais well known. The partial vacuum in the manifold 21 is communicated to the combustion chamber 36 through the holes 39, so that with the throttle partially closed fuel mixture is drawn through the passage 37 into the chamber 36. Here it is ignited by the spark plug 41 and burns, giving oil' heat to the main fuel .mixture whichis being drawn through the passage 19. The products of combustion from the chamber 36, pass through the holes 39 and are drawn through passage 19, mingling with the fuel mixture andipassing through the manifold 21 into the engine. As the'rthrottle is opened the depression above the throttle decreases and a point is reached where practically no fuel is drawn through the 'chamber 36. At such 100 a point the heater ceases to function. As .the desirability of heating the'fuel mixture ord inarily decreases with. the amount of throttle opening, the operation of the device is practically automatic supplying heat to the 105 main fuel mixture when such heat is desirable, but supplying noi heat when it is not neede The ignition circuit of the engine is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. This circuit 1 10 comprises a coil 43 having a low voltage primary winding 44 and cooperating secondary windings 46 and 47. The secondary winding 46, which is adapted to supply ignition for the engine cylinders, has one of its terminals grounded and the other terminal connected to a central arm 48 of an ignition distributor 49, driven in timed relation to the engine in a manner Well known in the art to which this invention relates. The distributor 49 is rovided with a plurality of circumferentia ly arranged contacts` 51, one of which corresponds to each of the cylinders of the engine and is connected to a spark plug 50 therein. The winding 47, is adapted to'supply current to the spark plug 41, by means of which the fuel in the combustion chamber 36 is ignited.

The primary winding 44 is connected at one of its ends to a battery 52 through a suitable control switch 53. The other end of the primary Winding 44 is connected to the ground through a circuit breaker 54. including a pair of spring pressed contacts 56 adapted to be brought into contact by a suitable cam 57', operated in timed relation to the engine.

The operation of the ignition apparatus above described is well understood. The making and breaking of the circuit through the primary winding 44, eiected by means Yof the circuit breaker 54, induces surges ofv high tension current in the secondary wind ings 46 and 47.V The surges of current induced in the coil 46, are distributed through the arm 48 and distributor 49 to the spark lugs 50 in the proper order.V Those surges induced in the coil 47 are communicatedto the spark plug 41 and produce a substantial ly continuous spark in the combustion chamber 36, by means of which any gaseous mixture therein is kept burning. so that the fuel mixture on the way to the engine cylinder is heated.

In the operation of such ignition apparatus for multi-cylinder engines it is generally desirable that there be supplied half as many sparks per revolution of the engine crank shaft as the number of engine cylinders, since in the usual four stroke cycle engine each cylinder must go through its cycle once in every two revolutions of the crank shaft. Therefore in an engine having a large number of cylinders, such as the eightcylinder organization illustrated, the circuit breaker mechanism must produce four sparks for each revolution of the crank shaft, so that the dwell or pause on each lobe of the cam is of comparatively short duration. At high engine speeds this dwell may become so short as to limit the amount of current that may be built up in the primary winding 44 by the impressed voltage of the battery 52, or other source of current, and this may so seriously curtail the output of the winding .46 as to interfere with the engine ignition.

In the present invention this condition is relieved by removing a portion of the load on the primary winding 54 at high engine speeds. This is accomplished by stopping the operation of the heater ignition apparatus at throttle valve openings corresponding to speeds above this predetermined engine speed. This does not in any way interfere with the 'operation o'f the heater, which ceases to function at large throttle openings, as ionted out above. k

buitably mounted adjacent the forked arm 26 on the throttle valve shaft 24 is an insulated box or housing 61, Within which is mounted a resilient switch arm 62, connected into the heater ignition circuit at any suitable point, preferably at the spark plug 4l, by a connection 63. The end of the switch arm 62 projects from the housing 61 and is arranged in the circular path in the end of the arm 26. The switch arm 62 is so proportioned as to make contact with the end of the arm 26 at the predetermined position of the tl.rottle valve 23, corresponding to the normal engine speed at which it is desired to strengthen the current flow in the engine ignition apparatus 43.4

Theopeiation of the above described device will be readily understood. As the throttle valve 23 is rotated towards its open position the engine normally speeds up, and this increase of speed continues to that predetermined point at which diiculty is experienced in obtaining satisfactory. ignition. At this point the end of the arm 28 strikes the switch arm 62, thus grounding the wire connection to the spark plug 41, and consequently grounding the circuit through the heater coil 47.` In this manner the ignition coil 47 is temporarily put out of commission, no current being induced therein from the primary coil 44, in which the current :How is at all times suiciently stro to energize the ignition coil 46 by itself. nontinued motion of the arm 26 effects a springing u of the switch arm 62, into the poeltion s own in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the ground connection of the heater ignition circuit is maintained at all throttle o from the predetermined opening to t e wi e open position of the throttle.

It will be understood that various forms of the invention other than those described above may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an internal oomlbustion engine having an ignition circuit and an auxiliary circuit, connected to and operated from the ignition circuit, of means to ground the auxiliary circuit at and above a predetermined engine speed and load.

2. The combination'with an internal oombustion engine having a combustion heater,

determined throttle opening.

bustion enginev having a combustion heater, a

throttle valve for the engineelectrical ignition means for the engine 'and'fforT the heater, and means to stop the operation ofthe heater ignition means at a predetermined throttle opening. A

4. In combination with an interna-l' combustion4 engine, a combustion heater, ignition means for the heater and for the engine including induction windings, "a throttle valve vfor the ,engine and means to ground the heater winding at a predetermined throttleopening.`

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a combustion heater, ignition means for the heater including a spark plug, a throttle valve for the engine, and means to ground the spark plug at a pre- 6. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a combustion heater, ignition means therefor including a spark-plu a throttle valve for the engine, and switci means operable with the throttle valve to ground the spark plug at a predetermined throttle opening.

7 In combinatlon with an internal combustionengine,a combustion heater, ignition means therefor including a spark plug, a throttle valve for the engine, and switch means connected to the throttle valve and at a predetermined throttle opening.-

at a predetermined 8.In combination with an internal combustion engine, a combustion heater,v ignitionmeans therefor, a throttle valve for the en e, and means connected to the throttle va ve, and operable therewith to suspend operation of the ignition means at throttle openings beyond a predetermined maximum.

9. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a combustion heater, ignition means for the engine and for the heater including a pair of windings, a throttle valve, means associated with the throttle valve adapted to ground the heater ignition winding at thrott e openings beyond a predetermined maximum.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine a, combustion heater, ignition means for the engine and ,for the heater including a spark plug circuit, a throttle valve for the engine having a shaft, and switch means including a flexible switch blade mounted on the heater and operable on a predetermined throttle opening to ground the heater spark plug circuit.

11. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an ignition circuit and an auxiliary circuit, connected to and operated from the ignition circuit, of means to ground the auxiliary circuit at and above a predetermined throttle opening.

12. The combination with an, internal combustion engine having a combustion heater, an ignition circuit for the heater and means to ground said circuit atk a predetermined throttle opening.

yIn testimony whereof I aix my signature.

` LIONEL M. WOOLSON. 

